Power actuated foldable bleacher assemblage



Sept. 11, 1962 F. E. BussE POWER ACTUATED F'OLDABLE BLEACHEJR ASSEMBLAGE5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 17, 1958 FZOYD E. 50.535

A T 702N575 Sept. 11, 1962 F. E. BUSSE POWER ACTUATED FOLDABLE BLEACHERASSEMBLAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 1'7, 1958 INVENTOR. Ewvo E. 50555United States Patent 3,ti52,929 POWER ACTUATED FOLDABLE BLEACHERASSEMBLAGE Floyd E. Busse, Berlin, Wis, assignor to ConsolidatedFoundries and Mfg. Corp, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware FiledNov. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 774,254 3 Claims. (6!. 20-1126) This inventionrelates in general to improvements in spectator bleacher structures, andit relates more specifically to improvements in the construction andoperation of power actuated foldable bleacher assemblages, especiallyadapted for use in gymnasiums, auditoriums, or the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedfoldable and distendable bleacher in which a series of spectator seatingsupports are movable toward and away from each other by one or morepowerful devices such as an electric motor.

Some of the more important and specific objects of the invention are asfollows:

To provide a simple but highly flexible and eflicient power-actuatedfoldable bleacher assemblage wherein one or more power units may beassociated with diverse portions of the seat supports of a single ormultiple group of bleacher sections, to rapidly nest or to distend theassemblage.

To provide an improved compact but powerful actuating motor for afoldable bleacher installation having successive transverse rows ofupright seat supports of progressively decreasing height, and whereinthe successive supports are interconnected by mechanism for transmittingmovement to the adjacent supports of the series whenever motion isimparted to one of these supports.

To provide a bleacher comprising a succession of spectator seatingsupports of progressively diminishing heights adapted to be moved towardand away from each other, and in which the supports may be either foldedfor storage or spread apart for normal use while the entire bleacherassemblage may also be bodily displaced as a unit when in either foldedor spread condition with the aid of the same power device.

To provide an improved power unit preferably associated with either thefront or rear seat support of a folderble bleacher assemblage and whichmay be effectively utilized to fold or to unfold the supports withutmost safety and with minimum attention, and which also functions withdelayed action to fold and unfold the bleacher seat supports and tobodily move the entire assemblage.

To provide an electrically-actuated unit for operating a foldablebleacher assembly, which provides an effective floor engaging frictiondrive for moving the successive seat supports of the bleacher toward andaway from each other, and which may also be used to transport theassembly as a unit from place to place, the same unit more over beingadapted for multiple arrangement so as to cooperate with bleachers ofdifferent sizes and weights.

These and other still more specific objects and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description.

A clear conception of the features constituting the present improvement,and of the construction and operation of several foldable and bodilytransportable bleacher assemblages embodying the invention, may be hadby referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification wherein like reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts in the various views.

FIGURE 1 is a relatively diagrammatic side elevation of a foldablebleacher assemblage in distended condition and with the improved powerunit applied to a front end portion thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a similar elevational view of the same 3,052,929 PatentedSept. 11, 1962 installation but showing the assemblage in nested orfolded condition;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged top view of one of the improved electric motordriven power units applied to a bleacher assemblage as in FIGURES 1 and2; 7

FIGURE 4 is a similarly enlarged side view of the electric motor drivenpower unit shown and applied as in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of another foldable bleacherassemblage similar to that of FIGURE 1 and also in distended condition,but showing the improved power unit applied to the rear seat supportwhich is backed up against a fixed wall;

FIGURE 6 is a similar elevation of the bleacher installation shown inFIGURE 5, but showing the assemblage folded and moved forwardly againsta fixed stop railing;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top view of a three section bleacherassemblage having a portion of the structure broken away to show anarrangement of several of the improved power units for actuating amultiple section assemblage;

FIGURE 8 is a top view similar to that of FIGURE 7, but showing thepreferred location of the power actuating unit in a single sectionbleacher assemblages;

FIGURE 9 is an electrical wiring diagram applicable to the arrangementof power units as shown in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 10 is a similar diagram especially applicable to the singlesection bleacher of FIGURE 8.

While the bleacher assemblages shown herein are of the type disclosed inUS. Patent No. 2,846,738, granted August 12, 1958, wherein thesuccessive adjacent seat supports are interconnected by lazytongs fortransmitting parallel movement of these supports toward and away fromeach other, it is not intended to restrict the use of the improved powerunits to such installations; and it is also contemplated that specificdescriptive terms employed herein be given the broadest possibleinterpretation con sistent with the actual disclosure.

Referring to the drawings, each of the bleacher assemblages disclosedtherein, comprises in general, successive transverse seating tiersdefined by rows of relatively movable upright seat supports 12 ofgradually diminishing height each provided with an upper spectator seat13 and a footrest 16' as well as with lower supporting rollers 14, theadjacent supports 12 being movable back and forth toward and away fromeach other to nest and distend the tiers and being interconnected bylazytongs 15 for maintaining the rows parallel to each other. Except forthe rear support 12, each of the other supports 12 is provided with arearwardly extending footrest platform 16 loctaed directly beneath itsseat 13 and above the lazytongs 15 telescopically connecting it with thenext adjacent support, and these lazytongs 15 are operable to cause allof the supports 12 to move toward and away from each other in successionwhen force is applied fore or aft against either the rear support 12' orthe front support 12". All of this bleacher structure is relatively oldas shown in the above-identified patent.

The present invention deals more particularly with the improved powerunit for applying such force to the supports 12' or 12", and this unitis shown in detail in FIG- URES 3 and 4 and comprises, an electric motor18 mounted upon a base 19 which is swingably suspended from a pivot 20,and has a transverse axle 21 journalled for rotation in its swinging endconnected by speed reducing worm gearing housed within a casing 22 withthe motor shaft 23, the axle 21 being provided at its opposite ends withrelatively large friction wheels 24 which are engageable with the floor25. The base 19 is freely swingable about the pivot 20 and may beweighted down with a suitable number of relatively heavy weights 26,

some of which may be mounted upon a plate 27 forming a protective coverfor the speed reducing gearing. The number and heft of the weights 26may be varied so as to insure proper traction between the wheels 24 andthe floor 25 dependent upon the weight of the bleacher supports 12, 12',12", and one or more of these power units may also be provided andinstalled as will be later explained.

Referring especially to FIGURES 1 and 2, in this installation as inFIGURES 3 and 4, the rear support12' is bolted to the floor 25 and theimproved power unit is pivotally suspended from a front support 12" towhich the lowest front spectator seat 13' and its support are rigidlyattached. The pivot 20 of the motor base 19 is secured to the uprightfront beams of the support 12", and the entire power unit is protectedby the seat 13 and footrest 16 carried by the support 12". With the rearsupport 12' fixed to the floor 25 and assuming the bleacher to bedistended for normal use as in FIGURE 1, when the motor 18 is operatedto rotate its shaft 23 in one direction the weighted friction wheels 24Will propel the support 12" rearwardly thereby causing the lazytongs 15to successively roll all of the intermediate supports 12 rearwardly intocompact folded and telescoped condition as in FIGURE 2. Reverseoperation of the motor 18 will obviously distend the assemblage in likemanner by successively separating the seat supports 12, 12', 12" fromnested storage condition as in FIGURE 2 into spread and usable conditionas in FIGURE 1, thus providing a simple but effective drive for movingthe roller supported seat supports 12, 12" in either direction relativeto a fixed rear support 12.

Referring now to FIGURES and 6, in this modification the same power unitshown in FIGURES 3 and 4 may be utilized but the entire bleacher unit isadapted to float upon the floor 25 between a stationary rear wall 29 anda fixed guard rail 30 with delayed action. In this installation thepower unit is reversed and has its suspension pivot secured to the rearupright of the rear support 12, and the entire power unit is protectedby the seat 13 and footrest platform 16 of the adjacent support 12.Also, while the weight of the front tier is generally sufficient toresist movement thereof during the folding operation, suitable meanssuch as a brake and its actuating linkage shown and described in PatentNo. 2,846,738 may be incorporated in the front or lowermost row to morepositively resist movement of this row until the tiers are completelynested by the power actuating means.

Assuming the bleacher to be in extended condition and backed against thewall 29 as in FIGURE 5, when the electric motor 18 is actuated to rotateits shaft 23 in one direction, the bleacher starts to fold from the rearand this folding action will continue until the assemblage has beencompletely folded. If a brake or other means for resisting movement ofthe lowermost tier is utilized, such brake may now be released, andcontinued operation of the motor 18 will then cause the entire bleacherunit, in folded condition, to move toward the fixed rail 30 usuallydisposed at the edge of a balcony, as in FIGURE 6.

When this type of bleacher is prepared for occupancy, starting from theposition shown in FIGURE 6, the seat supports start to separate from therear and this action continues toward the front of the assembly untilthe entire bleacher has been unfolded with the front row of supportsstill against the railing 30. Further operation of the motor 18 willthen cause the entire structure to move bodily and in extended conditionuntil the rear support 12' either engages a wall 29 or sufiicient spacehas developed in front of the assemblage to provide the necessarywalkway, and the brake may then be reset when incorporated in theassemblage.

' This bodily displacement of the entire bleacher assemblage in eitherdirection is what is referred to herein as delayed action, and with thismodified assemblage, the motor-driven power unit may also be utilized tobodily transport small bleacher assemblages from place to place.

In bleacher assemblages such as shown schematically in FIGURE 7 whereinseveral adjoining and interconnected rows of supports 12 and seats 13are required, it is preferable to utilize several power units havingmotors 13 of difierent capacities in order to obtain the necessarytraction for folding and expanding all of the rows simultaneously. Atransverse bar 31 which spans all of the rows of bleacher supports, hasmotors 18 of relatively great capacity mounted thereon in the verticalplanes of the ends of the adjoining rows, while motors 18 of lessercapacity are mounted upon the opposite ends of the bar 31. All of themotors 18, 18' are simultaneously operable and controllable by a singlereversing switch 32 as depicted in the wiring diagram of FIGURE 9, andwith the power units thus applied, the force for moving the bleachersupports 12 toward and away from each other will be uniformly applied tothe entire assemblage.

In bleacher assemblages embodying a single row of seats 13, or in caseswhere each of several adjoining rows must be indefendantly foldable anddistendable, a single power unit comprising a motor 18 of propercapacity may be mounted centrally of each row as shown in FIGURE 8. Thepropelling motor 18 for each individual row may then be controlled by aseparate electrical system hav-' ing its own reversing switch 32 as inFIGURE 10, but all of these control switches may be located at a commonremote control station so that they will be readily accessible formanipulation.

From the foregoing detailed description it should be apparent that thepresent invention in fact provides an improved foldable and distendablebleacher assemblage which is simple but durable in construction, andwhich is highly flexible in its adaptations. These bleachers mayobviously be produced in relatively standard sections or rows adapted tobe motivated by compact but powerful electric motor units eitherindividually or simultaneously controlled and actuated. The delayedaction obtainable with bleacher assemblages such as illustrated in FIG-URES 5 and 6 is very important for use in many installations, and whilethe use of lazytongs 15 for transmitting motion to the successive seatsupports 12 is not essential this type of motion transfer mechanism hasbeen found highly satisfactory. The improved power units besides beingwell protected in the installations, may be weighted to provide propertraction for moving the seat supports 12, and these units may also beproduced in various capacities for cooperation with bleachers ofdifferent sizes. Not only is the power actuator completely housed,permanently stored and concealed from the view under and within theconfines of the bleacher assemblage at all times and in any positionthereof, but the need for a brake or other means for preventingdisplacement of the end tier on which the motor is mounted is entirelyeliminated since the driven traction wheels 24 are positively coupled tothe drive motor and are therefore locked when the motor is off tothereby provide sufiicient resistance to movement at any positionwhether the assemblage be open, distended or partially distended.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this inventionto the exact details of construction and operation of the foldablebleacher assemblages specifically shown and described herein, forvarious modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occurto persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a foldable bleacher assemblage having successive transverse tiersof spectator footrest and seat-carrying members of gradually decreasingheights terminating in end tiers and supported on laterally spaceduprights and interconnected for bodily movement thereof toward and awayfrom each other into nested and extended positions, means for resistingmovement of one of said end tiers, and a reversible power actuatormounted on a tier remote from said one end tier and positioned entirelybetween adjacent ones of the supporting uprights thereof below thefootrests and seats and entirely within the confines of the bleacherregardless of the relative positions of the tiers, said power actuatorincluding a driven ground-engaging wheel also positioned below saidfootrests and seats entirely within the confines of the bleacher formoving said transverse tiers selectively to said nested and extendedpositions.

2. In a foldable bleacher assemblage having successive transverse tiersof spectator footrest and seat-carrying members of gradually decreasingheights terminating in end tiers and supported on laterally spaceduprights and interconnected for bodily movement thereof toward and awayfrom each other into nested and extended positions, means for resistingmovement of one of said end tiers, a. reversible motor mounted on arigid supporting member connected to a tier remote from said one endtier between adjacent ones of the supporting uprights thereof below thefootrests and seats and extending to a position entirely within theconfines of the bleacher regardless of the relative positions of thetiers, and a ground-engaging drive wheel coupled to said motor and alsopositioned below said footrests and seats entirely within the confinesof the bleacher for moving said transverse tiers selectively to saidnested and extended positions upon operation of said motor.

3. In a foldable bleacher assemblage having successive transverse tiersof spectator footrest and seat-carrying members of gradually decreasingheights terminating in end tiers and supported on laterally spaceduprights and interconnected for bodily movement thereof toward and awayfrom each other into nested and extended positions, means for resistingmovement of one of said end tiers, and a power actuator including areversible motor and a ground-engaging drive wheel coupled thereto andboth mounted on a common rigid support pivotally connected at one end toa tier remote from said one end tier between adjacent ones of thesupporting uprights thereof and extending to a position below thefootrests and seats and entirely within the confines of the bleacherregardless of the relative positions of the tiers, said ground-engagingdrive wheel also being positioned below said footrests and seatsentirely within the confines of the bleacher for moving said transversetiers selectively to said nested and extended positions upon operationof said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,482,203 Peterson Sept. 20, 1949 2,636,567 Landrum Apr. 28, 19532,812,069 Trammell Nov. 5, 1957 2,846,738 Walworth Aug. 12, 19582,851,179 Vance Sept. 9, 1958 2,898,639 Murphy Aug. 11, 1959 OTHERREFERENCES Medart Telescopic Gym Seats, Fred Medart Products, Inc., St.Louis 18, M0., page 4, March 1955.

Medart Advertisement, Medart Scoops the Field With Fully AutomaticPower-Operated Gym Seats, copyright 1958.

